I’d support a hard look at Prop 13 property assessments, perhaps increasing the allowable appreciation to 3-4% and even sticking it to the boomers with a rate jack. I won’t budge on the supermajority.

But, I’ll tell you this- I will never vote to ease the hurdles to raise taxes until public employees are forced to concede a whopper and unions as a whole are hamstrung by law. Because in the end, one can never underestimate the Democrats willingness to sell our state’s future down the river for a clicks of political gain.

While Prop 13 has definately placed a limit on the growth in assessed property taxes, it does nothing to prohibit our leaders from returning to the polls to ask for more. . . . and it certainly has NOTHING to do with whether or not a given electorate approves such initiatives.

I suggest politicians stop whining about the problems resulting from Prop 13 and start focussing on what terms will compel taxpayers to part with more of their ever DECREASING disposable income dollars. . . .

A really great start would be by cutting personal incomes and benefits while simultaneously elevating expectations for productivity in the municipal sector(s).

Bring these public servants in line with the same kinds of massive losses in earnings, benefits and income which have been imposed on the private sector for MANY YEARS.

]]>By: Gus Morrisonhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/26/fremont-teachers-negotiate-one-year-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-12962
Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:26:59 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7089#comment-12962Please note, I agree with Marty in #5 above, maybe for the first time. Our problem is that we have not yet figured out how to fund government since 1978 when Prop 13 passed. We have patched and patched until there is no patching material available. This fall we will have tax measures from schools and probably one of our cities, all trying to patch, all probably worthy, but none of them fix the problem.

We elect people to the legislature, many of them from local government, and they forget from whence they came. We continue to address the patches with initiatives, which only seem to make the system worse. There is so much wrong that a comprehensive overhaul of our tax/revenue situation must happen, but the legislature bogs down every year and passes the burden onto our kids. And they play musical chairs as they run for another office because of term limits. Fixing the system ought to be the priority of the legislature. Maybe we should float an initiative that says the legislature shall pass no bills until they have solved the government funding problem and that, until they solve it, they can collect no political contributions. Maybe we should add to that, that after a certain period, maybe 3 months, if the problem isn’t solved, 25% of the legislator’s campaign fund is taken by the state, another 25% in six months, and so on, until their campaign fund is broke. Then, they can compete with the challengers with no money. We need to fix the problem!

]]>By: Tony Irvingtonhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/26/fremont-teachers-negotiate-one-year-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-12955
Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:07:45 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7089#comment-12955As far as teachers “earning every penny”- that Bozo who writes the column in the paper actually a teacher in our schools? If he’s “earning every penny” he gets then I think we all might want to make sure were on the same page as to what a teacher is paid to do.
When I read this guy’s column I often think that maybe he should be paying the kids for giving him the opportunity to unload his myriad personal garbage all over their helpless preteen brains. What’s that simpleton’s name??
You know the guy, blonde, with an expression that conveys his column’s gist-that of a man afraid to learn, lost and losing his way further by trying to cover up the evidence found in his own judgmental words that suggest he himself feels he’s lived the life of a coward taking the easy route, who hates what he does, and is lousy at it, by putting down the students he fails.

What’s his naaa- JAIME RICHARDS!
Is he for real?

]]>By: Martyhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/26/fremont-teachers-negotiate-one-year-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-12951
Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:36:06 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7089#comment-12951There’s not much in the regions economic pipeline, and it certainly can get worse.

And while I think teachers are the few city employees who earn every penny, a furlough day is not a pay cut. The pay rate remains the same, the work available changes.

Cities do not have access to income taxes. People are spending less, the state is taking more and property assessments are being shaved for the third year in a row. Whoever has a plan for continuing the status quo, please come forward. In lieu will be these extend and pretend patches to a structural problem.

]]>By: Joelhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/26/fremont-teachers-negotiate-one-year-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-12949
Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:43:59 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7089#comment-12949If it gets worse next year, which is likely, they’ll look like geniuses for taking a measured approach to cutting back expenses while maintaining some reserves.
]]>By: TRhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/26/fremont-teachers-negotiate-one-year-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-12945
Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:12:55 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7089#comment-12945They don’t have a surplus, they have reserves – The state requires some reserves, so schooling can continue in the event of a fiscal emergency. FUSD has larger reserves than other local districts, and much larger than required. FUSD, and all school districts, need reserves – to be used when faced with dire cuts. These are dire cuts, and reserves should be dipped into to make sure our students have access to the best education possible, even with the state’s financial situation.
]]>By: Brucehttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/26/fremont-teachers-negotiate-one-year-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-12942
Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:12:21 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7089#comment-12942I don’t think it is funny, my kids have been having their teachers cut. Why do you say they have a surplus? Everything I’ve been seeing shows that we have had state funding cut over the last 2 years.
]]>By: Anonhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/26/fremont-teachers-negotiate-one-year-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-12935
Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:14:22 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7089#comment-12935That’s funny…16 million deficit? When they have a SURPLUS of 11-12 million? Interesting. FUSD is a bank!
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